After nearly a full year shaped by the pandemic, it is clear that people continue to turn to mobile games for entertainment. Global trends indicate growth across all player types in playtime, session length, and in-app purchases, signaling a robust and expanding market for mobile gaming.
In response, Google Turkey has teamed up with local games studio Game Factory to launch the Game Factory Booster program in Turkey. This accelerator is designed to support early-stage mobile game startups as they scale toward international markets. Participating teams will receive comprehensive training, targeted mentorship, and practical resources needed to build, publish, and grow successful mobile games.
To better understand Turkey’s mobile gaming ecosystem, its global position, and the details of the new accelerator program, we spoke with Murat Kahraman, Founding Partner of Game Factor, and Barış Yesugey, Developer Relations Program Manager at Google.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the global and Turkish mobile game ecosystem?
Murat Kahraman: During the pandemic many of us spent far more time at home than ever before, and activities we could no longer do in person were often replaced by mobile gaming. Globally, Q1 2020 reports showed a 30% rise in mobile game downloads compared to previous years. That surge created significant momentum for the mobile games sector both worldwide and here in Turkey. Perhaps the most important result was that we reached a new cohort of players who had not been regular gamers before, expanding the overall audience for mobile titles.
How do you view Turkey’s mobile game ecosystem and its position in the global market?
Murat Kahraman: Over the last two years we’ve witnessed major exits and notable commercial success from Turkish game companies, while the rise of hyper-casual games has opened important opportunities for small independent studios. Lately, it’s common to see multiple games developed in Turkey appearing in top charts every day.
These developments have allowed both emerging and established talent pools to access resources that previous generations could not, and as a result Turkey’s mobile game industry has become a focal point of international interest. The combination of creative talent, growing developer experience, and expanding access to global platforms positions Turkish studios well in the worldwide market.
Looking to 2021 and beyond, what strategic steps should companies in the games sector take?
Murat Kahraman: This may be one of the most opportune periods for the games sector. A few years ago, obtaining funding for game startups was difficult and entering the industry demanded significant sacrifices. The success of earlier entrepreneurs has shifted perspectives in both public institutions and private investors, creating far more opportunities for studios seeking publishers or investors today.
I believe 2021 will be an important year for Turkish game startups to take bolder, larger-scale steps. To succeed, studios should focus on product-market fit, data-driven iteration, scalable live-ops and monetization strategies, and building relationships with publishers and global partners. With these priorities in place, studios can move from promising ideas to sustainable growth. Through the Game Factory and Google partnership, we plan to support studios as they take these next steps.
Why is a program like this needed in Turkey, and what are the program’s details?
Barış Yesugey: The Game Factory Booster program, run in partnership with Google, is designed to give early-stage game teams the multidisciplinary training and mentorship they need to reach global markets. To sustain the momentum Turkey has built and to foster new, larger success stories, we want to stand beside local studios as they scale up.
The program targets teams that already have a game project and a committed team, and are confident they can refine and scale their title for international success. Over six months, participating teams will follow a tailored curriculum, receive mentorship from industry leaders, and access Google product credits. They will also gain opportunities to pitch to publishers and investors and to present their projects to potential partners.
Training modules will cover a broad range of topics essential to modern game development and business growth: game design and production, technical architecture and optimization, visual and UX design, publishing and user acquisition strategies, monetization and live-ops, data analytics, and studio management and business strategy. The goal is to reduce avoidable trial-and-error, accelerate learning, and enable teams to reach milestones in months rather than years. Program details can be found through the program’s official channels, and applications are open until December 14.
What benefits will participants gain from this accelerator?
Murat Kahraman: The single greatest benefit we aim to provide is time and efficiency: helping teams achieve in six months what might otherwise take years. Every startup goes through a learning curve of experimentation and iteration, and those missteps can be costly. With focused training, expert mentors, and structured feedback, teams can shorten their learning cycles, avoid common pitfalls, and make more informed decisions about design, monetization, and growth.
Beyond accelerated learning, participants will also gain network access—to mentors, publishers, and investors—practical support with product and business development, and credits for essential developer tools. For many teams, that combination of knowledge, connections, and resources can mean the difference between a promising prototype and a successful global release.